As the title. Looks like I might have got a spare ticket off someone and wondered if any other forumites would be there? :)
Wish I was going. Have a great time!
Okay. That was brilliant.
My review is here: http://ishotthedeputy.com/?q=node/view/116
But I'll save you the click ;)
I saw this gig thanks to Mclusky Forums (http://forum.mclusky.net) member 'disgust', who was kind enough to sell me their spare ticket, with support from 'pastureofmuppets' who also offered their spare for sale.
Mclusky open to a half-full venue and do a cut-down version of their Friday night ULU set, losing tracks like Chases and She Will Only Bring You Happiness. It's a good set but lacks the electric crowd energy of Friday's, with only a few of us moving around and no jumping to be seen. Jon comes out wearing a green anorack, zipped up so his face barely shows and is forced to put down some hecklers who keep yelling 'Leeds Festival' drunkenly at him. Eventually the heat forces him to take the hood down but he makes up for it by stealing a cigarette out of Jack's mouth while he's engaged drumming like a nutter.
After a small break Shellac come on to set their own equipment up (with the help of a couple of roadies). This is my first experience of the band and one of the strangest set ups I've ever witnessed. The Scala stage is only a foot off the ground and the band are positioned right at its edge, the monitors moved away into three stacks of two each, positioned in a triangle: one to each side and one directly behind Todd's drums. They're so close, the first two rows of audience could reach out and play them.
The symmetry continues with a mic stand each for Bob and Steve (not boom stands, I note) and a small worn pair of monitor speakers, stacked up to either side of Todd's monitors, each topped with an amp head that I presume are home made. The amps are about the size of a large PC unit and the one mirrors the other in the placement of the single green light, switch, input jack, large volume knob and analogue level needle. They look more like something out of a physics lab than anything else.
Steve Albini, the man responsible for at least two of the greatest albums I own and who's worked with most of the best bands on the planet, looks something like Egon from Ghostbusters; Bob and Todd look slightly less geeky. Everywhere a room full of musos are yelling "Albini", one guy even going so far as "I wanna have your babies, Steve".
Initially Bob wears a yellow anorack identical to Jon's, but almost immediately discards it as the swealtering heat sets in. Steve says something like "What did you think of Mclusky?" and gets a roar of approval. "They sound great but they have terrible clothes. Did you see Andy's pants?" he says, wrapping his guitar strap round his waist like a belt instead of over the shoulder, "He looked like he was in Inspiral Carpets". (Steve's wearing an old t-shirt, drainpipe jeans, and chunky Converse trainers.) "ALBINI," roars someone in my ear, "when will you stop tucking your shirt in?"
They open with "the first song we ever wrote, about the man who invented fire" that I've never heard it before, but then I only own "at Action Park" and "Terraform". It ends suddenly and Steve kicks straight into the awesome riffs of "My Black Ass". I don't recognise most of the set, though there's a selection from Action Park and "Canada" really gets the crowd singing along in earnest. During an interesting acapella moment from Steve a couple of guys, possibly the same who were banging on about Leeds Festival to Jon, start yelling that "Bob's the best" and for Bob to "End this ____"; he gives them at least one finger, maybe two. Halfway through, Steve breaks a string so Bob uses it as an opportunity to take questions from the audience. The nobbers keep yelling stuff and Bob tells them not to bother because he's not going to answer their questions (cheers):
"New record!" They've recorded some tracks; not soon; there will be one. (Cheers.)
"Play the Admiral." They can't because they've not really rehearsed much. (Could have fooled us - this set is faultless.)
"If you were a superhero what would your superpower be?" I can't remember Bob's answer. Steve's is pointedly that he would have the power to shut anyone up just by looking at them, even through the TV!
"Whe doesn't Todd speak?" which prompts Todd to wander distractedly over to the mic like Emo Philips and state the his superpower would be to make all the women in the audience bathe him in (milk? warm water?) and shower him with gifts. He grins and returns to the drums.
This is a fantastic gig and a brilliant performance. The don't just play us the songs, they perform them. Steve jumps around the stage, shaking his mic out of the stand so often that the audience member in front of him might as well be his roadie. Todd plays with his drums sticks reversed on a minimal kit with only two cymbals and two toms and Bob manages to make the bass shake the room, particuarly at the end when he detunes the bottom string until the speaker cones begin to crumble.
Mister Chalk
02-12-2004, 11:47
Todd plays with his drums sticks reversed on a minimal kit with only two cymbals and two Todds and Bob manages to make the bass shake the room, particuarly at the end when he detunes the botTodd string until the speaker cones begin to crumble
Someone thought Todd's name was Tom, didn't he? Good old find and replace.
Someone thought Todd's name was Tom, didn't he? Good old find and replace.
I was drunk and half-asleep when I wrote it on my PDA on the way home. Lost it. Then my brain kicked in when I was dropping off after pasting it and I couldn't be arsed to turn the PC on again! :D
I guess I'll have to faff with it again. :lol:
Edit: Sorted. I think. Bah! I'll do a proper search now. At least I know you read one paragraph... :suspect:
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